Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard (35) blocks a shot as teammates Justin Abdelkader (8) and Niklas Kronwall (55) look on during the second period of Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series against the Chicago Blackhawks in Chicago, Wednesday, May 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

CHICAGO — There’s understandably a little sympathy for Jimmy Howard, considering the barrage he endured in Game 1. He looked beaten up afterward.

The last time anyone in Chicago got pummeled with that many shots, it was in a garage on St. Valentine’s Day.

“You’re making saves and you’re feeling good in the dressing room that the game was tied after the second period,” Howard said following the Wings’ 4-1 series-opening loss, perhaps still dazed over what had hit him. “And then they turned the game completely around on us. Instead of getting something going, we were standing around and watching a lot.”

The Blackhawks skated. The Wings skirted.

“They had their legs,” Howard reasoned. “We didn’t.”

The Wings can’t use fatigue as an excuse. Coach Mike Babcock was careful in justly crediting Chicago for outplaying his team while also suggesting that he knew 24 hours earlier, after a rather lethargic Tuesday practice, that the Wings lacked the necessary jump to combat the Blackhawks’ speed and aggressiveness.

This is part of the mental reconstruction Babcock must undertake in the aftermath of Game 1. The NHL ignored the traditional one-day-in-between playoff scheduling for Game 2. With two days separating the first two games, the Wings rested Thursday. Players were under strict orders to take it easy.

“It definitely doesn’t hurt us,” Howard said about the extra day. “We’ve played a lot of hockey in little time with a lot of travel.”

If Babcock can sell the fatigue argument in the dressing room, then perhaps his players can salvage some of the confidence lost as Chicago out-Winged the Wings — controlling puck possession and relentlessly attacking in the offensive zone.

If that ploy doesn’t work and Saturday afternoon becomes a mirror image of Wednesday night, the Wings might be faced with the harsh truth that the Blackhawks have become the rightful heirs to the Wings’ fast, fluid style that dazzled and dominated hockey over the last 15 years.

And this series might not last beyond five games.

Niklas Kronwall wouldn’t accept the easy out when asked if the fatigue of a seven-game series that involved three trips to southern California contributed to the lack of defensive support in front of Howard and the Wings’ inability to move the puck efficiently out of their own end.

“It was too much watching them play hockey,” Kronwall said.

The Wings got tired in Game 1 only when the Blackhawks made them tired with a relentless forecheck that repeatedly forced Detroit mistakes in its defensive zone. After taking a 2-1 lead, the Blackhawks launched another assault on Howard.

But the puck bounced into the goal’s netting. Howard lunged to cover it, but it popped free where Chicago fourth-liner Marcus Kruger chipped it past Howard for a 3-1 lead.

“We needed a whistle,” Howard said. “I knew the next whistle was a TV time-out, so I was trying to keep it frozen on top there. After the second goal, it seemed like we were getting a little loose, so I was trying to get us into a TV time-out so everyone can get over there and Babs can try to regroup us.”

Instead, it was nighty-night for the sleepy Wings.

And once again they face critical self-reflection when approaching a crucial game. If the Wings are tired of anything, it’s constantly facing such must-win situations.

As you comment, please be respectful of other commenters and other viewpoints. Our goal with article comments is to provide a space for civil, informative and constructive conversations. We reserve the right to remove any comment we deem to be defamatory, rude, insulting to others, hateful, off-topic or reckless to the community. See our full terms of use here.

More in Sports

It was clear early on that the Gophers women’s basketball team was in for a physical game against Army. Minnesota didn’t seem to mind all the hands, elbows and hips directed its way — the Gophers play in the Big Ten, after all — and earned a 70-52 victory over the Black Knights on Thursday night at Williams Arena. “I...

TORONTO — DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry and the Toronto Raptors pushed aside the Minnesota Timberwolves — again. With Toronto down 95-94 with 8:46 left, DeRozan and Lowry keyed a 17-4 Raptors run that took the game away from the youthful Timberwolves. Toronto eventually pulled out a 124-110 victory, handing Minnesota its 13th straight loss at Air Canada Centre. “We just...

Members of the Missouri Tigers volleyball team are ready to have about 5,500 people rooting against them Friday night at 7:15 p.m. when they take on Minnesota’s Golden Gophers in the first round of the NCAA volleyball Minneapolis regional. “We’ve competed against a Big Ten team (Purdue, whom 27-5 Missouri defeated to advance to the regional semifinal) and that wasn’t a...

Unafraid of introducing his players to advanced statistics, Gophers coach Richard Pitino routinely tells his squad where they stand among college basketball’s top teams in stats not included in a box score. He prints out charts that combine traditional and advanced statistics, discusses them with players at practice and has an assistant track them during games to help with adjustments....

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer was optimistic punt returner Marcus Sherels will be able to play Sunday at Jacksonville, which would be a boost to a special-teams unit that struggled in several phases in last week’s loss to Dallas. Sherels has missed three of the past four games because of injury, including the previous two. Adam Thielen and Cordarrelle Patterson assumed...

When Mat Robson visited the University of Minnesota last month, he knew it was for him. Bright lights. Big city. Elite players. In Minneapolis, the 20-year-old saw a place similar to his hometown, and a chance to play goalie in front of 10,000 fans at Mariucci Arena. “The first and most important thing was going to a great program,” said...